KIER are letting residents down

Keep Increasing England’s Rubbish – this is the new acronym for our alleged rubbish collectors KIER.

On approaching the Old Town on the A259 there is a large illuminated sign welcoming people to Hastings and pleading, ‘please keep Hastings clean and tidy.’

KIER seem to have never read this nor do they adhere to that request in any area of this borough.

It is drowning in litter, streets not swept, gutters full of mud and sporting many weeds and shrubs.

If collected, this could be composted and sold to aid our cash-strapped council and perhaps fill a few potholes.

If you continue on down Old London Road we can see the well maintained site where Priscilla MacBean now rests and a little further on the beautifully landscaped site where the Cyril and Lilian Bishop Lifeboat now proudly occupies her final resting place brought about by the marvellous efforts of Dee Day White and Tush Hamilton. These two gentlemen get things done!

However, if you look to the opposite side of Old London Road, the pavement is an absolute disgrace.

The adjacent shrubbery has been hacked off and left exposing more litter, the pavement looks like it has not been swept for many months. In fact if it were swept now, it would likely be a third wider at least. This is an affront to those who have put in so much work and effort to bring these old Lifeboats home.

I understand that HBC has now terminated the contract with KIER but seems unable to insist that they fulfil the terms of that contract which is still running. I’d like to see the road sweepers of former years brought back.

They took a pride in their areas of work and we never saw the littered streets which so spoil our beautiful, historical town. We do want to encourage tourists and present a clean image here.

I believe that a contract has two sides to it and that both parties must comply with the conditions laid down.